Per backs team to learn and respond against Manchester United

Arsenal must get over Tuesday’s Champions League disappointment quickly with a huge Premier League game on the horizon.

Arsène Wenger’s side are bottom of Group F after losing 3-2 to Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium but are only three points from Manchester United in the league.

The Red Devils went top of the league over the weekend, but Arsenal aren’t far behind and can clinch a huge win with a good performance on Sunday. For now Tuesday’s game is fresh in the memory, but defender Per Mertesacker is already looking ahead to the next match.

“We have got a couple of days to look back on that performance,” the defender told Arsenal Player. “I think everyone will have regrets and it is good to take that away.”

Mertesacker replaced the injured Laurent Koscielny in the second half on Tuesday evening and will be needed again at the weekend. He would have been expected to come into the team for the visit of Manchester United anyway but that decision will be forced after his French counterpart suffered a hamstring injury.

“It will take a couple of days to recover and to think about Manchester United and play in a different competition, which will be a good opportunity to come back to the Emirates and play our football with possession and dynamism.”

Arsenal have only won one of four home games so far this season, and need to start creating a better atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium. It needs to become a fortress again, somewhere opposition teams are afraid of playing.

That won’t be easy but a win against Manchester United would certainly go a long way to rebuilding an aura with which we can intimidate visiting teams.